State launches ANKUR to drive urban growth
MoUs were signed here on Wednesday between the department and six leading institutions and organisations working in the urban development ecosystem.
Urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra said ANKUR represents a collective promise to build cities that are efficient, smart, and above all, citizen-centric. "This is a movement towards a Viksit Odisha," he added.
Secretary Usha Padhee said the genesis of ANKUR was not a single moment, but rather a series of reflections, conversations, and collaborations.
"It was born from a growing realisation within our department that the pace and complexity of urbanisation in Odisha required new thinking, new partnerships, and new platforms," she added.
As Odisha's urban population is projected to triple by 2036, ANKUR has been envisioned as a transformative platform to co-create resilient, liveable, and future-ready cities. It will strengthen four strategic pillars of urban development: capacity building, knowledge and research, implementation support, and innovation, said an official statement from the department.
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"ANKUR will serve as the institutional backbone to drive reform, innovation, and evidence-based urban decision-making in the state. With a commitment to decentralisation, inclusivity, and knowledge-led action, the initiative will foster a new era of urban partnerships ensuring that no city, and no citizen, is left behind," said the official statement.
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